This invention relates to input devices and methods, in particular, systems and methods for inputting data in and transmitting commands for a personal computer.
It is known to use input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard to input data or commands into a personal computer (PC) or multimedia system (such as a television, Set-top box, Game console, or other computer processing device), connected via data buses, data interfaces, wireless RF, infrared, “BLUETOOTH”™, via a data hub to a PC.
Further, single touch and multitouch keyboards or input devices are known, and allow, as the case may be, single or multiple inputs from a user. In other words, single touch interfaces read one input at a time, while multitouch can read/sense two or more inputs at a time.
Recently, multi-touch technologies are emerging for application in mobile phone technology. Companies such as Stantum S.A. in France, STMicroelectronics in France, and Synaptics Inc. in the US are developing multi-touch technologies in response to mobile phone customer demands. Such multitouch input devices use resistive and capacitive sensing to sense the presence of an object within its detection field.
Input devices in the form of graphic tablets are known and available from companies such as Wacom Inc. of Vancouver, Wash. The KINDLE EBOOK is a further tablet that is offered by Amazon of New-York City, New-York.
Among the capture devices for a personal computer (keyboard, mouse, touchpad), none of them support intuitive capture of hand drawings and hand written notes at a very low-cost.
High-end graphics tablets with embedded active displays are available, but they are expensive, as they require a dedicated processor to manage and update the display based on pen activity.
What is needed however for a simpler way for entry of hand annotations at a low cost thanks to a passive LCD display and a resistive touch sensor. What is needed is an input device that optionally allows real paper to be used on top of the display to better match the natural pen on paper experience.
Still further, what is needed is an apparatus, system and method offering to the user a way to remotely touch a screen using a remote input device which is portable and separate from the display device. What is needed is an apparatus, system and method which provides the user with the ability to input text as he or she would have performed directly on a display having an integrated multitouch surface thereon without physically touching the display.
In addition, what is needed is an apparatus, system and method which allows the user to observe a virtual keyboard and a virtual representation of his or her fingers positioned at the correct location relative to the virtual keyboard on the display device.